Two explosive blasts shook Beirut on August 5, Tuesday that left 50 people dead with thousands more injured at the nearby areas.
International reports state that the blast centred on a warehouse in the port area of Lebanon’s capital. Lebanon’s authorities have initiated an investigation to uncover the cause behind the huge explosion that was reportedly heard as far as 240 kilometres away in the neighboring country, Cyprus.
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As of posting time, Lebanon health minister Hamad Hassan estimated the death toll at 50, with at least 2,700 more injured who flocked towards the nearest hospitals to get treatment. Authorities fear that the final death toll is expected to be higher that initial figures provided.
Meanwhile, Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared Wednesday, August 6 as a national day of mourning and vowed to find the culprits responsible for the blast. Diab also claimed that there have been prior warnings of hazardous material that was stored in the port as early as 2014.
Videos and photos on social media showed people trapped beneath rubbles, blast-damaged buildings, and wrecked vehicles on the streets.
Screengrab from the video of Twitter user @Bourzou
Watch the video from Twitter user @Bourzou here:
